Prognostic value of the lactate/albumin ratio for predicting mortality in patients with pneumosepsis in intensive care units

The lactate/albumin (L/A) ratio correlates with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 (APACHE-2) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. This study examined whether the L/A ratio has prognostic value in a larger group of critically ill (adult) patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to pneumosepsis. This retrospective study analyzed the data of 273 patients with pneumosepsis admitted to the Internal Medicine ICU of Adana City Training and Research Hospital between 2018 and 2020. Patients diagnosed with pneumosepsis were included in the study. The data were obtained from the hospital system. Patients who had cancer, who were pregnant, and patients whose necessary data could not obtain for the study were excluded from the study. The L/A ratio was superior to lactate or albumin alone as a predictor of mortality. Furthermore, this result was valid for patients with kidney and hepatic dysfunction. A correlation occurred between the L/A ratio and APACHE-2 and SOFA scores in patients with pneumosepsis.The L/A ratio can be an independent predictor of mortality in patients with pneumosepsis and patients with pneumosepsis with renal and hepatic dysfunction. The L/A ratio correlated positively with lactate levels and APACHE-2 and SOFA scores but negatively with albumin levels.